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The stretch of para cord is part of the strength. If it was solid line and it did not stretch under a sudden load it would snap and we would be raining men all over the drop zone. There is a lot of nock off para cord that ain't fit to lace your boots with. I trust good old five fifty cord to hold me to my canopeee. And I trust amsteel to hold my two hundred and too many pounds off the ground in my night owl. If it can pull a jeep out of the vacum mud its good for me.

I think everyone covered the issues associated with using paracord pretty well.

However, it's worth noting that paracord is not bad stuff; actually, it works very well in its intended use. Since it stretches quite a bit, it absorbs the shock of going from freefall to chute deployed, keeping the person hanging from it from having a rough time with his or her harness.

Thing is, that stretch that's desirable for a skydiver? Not so much in our particular use: you don't want to wake up on the ground overnight when your suspension stretches under load.

And that's not even considering the weight limit and dynamic forces, which others have covered very well.

I think everyone covered the issues associated with using paracord pretty well.

However, it's worth noting that paracord is not bad stuff; actually, it works very well in its intended use. Since it stretches quite a bit, it absorbs the shock of going from freefall to chute deployed, keeping the person hanging from it from having a rough time with his or her harness.

Thing is, that stretch that's desirable for a skydiver? Not so much in our particular use: you don't want to wake up on the ground overnight when your suspension stretches under load.

And that's not even considering the weight limit and dynamic forces, which others have covered very well.

Thanks for the replies, I use some cheap 1\2 in poly rope from home depot as my main line with a paracord loop wrapped around it with a double prusik.

I was expecting to end up on the ground so I hung it low but to my suprise it didn't budge an inch when I sat down ,thats why I was questioning the use of other ropes.

Not to hijack my own thread but how well would amsteel work with the prusik setup ? I am sure I can make a whoopie sling no problem but I have read that they slip and like I said my prusik didn't slide down at all.

Maybe used 1\8 in main line and smaller 7\64 prusik loop so it has more "bite" on the main line?

Thanks for the replies, I use some cheap 1\2 in poly rope from home depot as my main line with a paracord loop wrapped around it with a double prusik.

I was expecting to end up on the ground so I hung it low but to my suprise it didn't budge an inch when I sat down ,thats why I was questioning the use of other ropes.

Not to hijack my own thread but how well would amsteel work with the prusik setup ? I am sure I can make a whoopie sling no problem but I have read that they slip and like I said my prusik didn't slide down at all.

Maybe used 1\8 in main line and smaller 7\64 prusik loop so it has more "bite" on the main line?

Never seen one slip... I have seen tree straps stretch... But never seen a whoopie budge... I'm told it MAY if you forget to tighten up the bury after adjusting it... But I slept 7-8 nights before anyone told me to do that and I never had a problem...

Thanks for the replies, I use some cheap 1\2 in poly rope from home depot as my main line with a paracord loop wrapped around it with a double prusik.

I was expecting to end up on the ground so I hung it low but to my suprise it didn't budge an inch when I sat down ,thats why I was questioning the use of other ropes.

Not to hijack my own thread but how well would amsteel work with the prusik setup ? I am sure I can make a whoopie sling no problem but I have read that they slip and like I said my prusik didn't slide down at all.

Maybe used 1\8 in main line and smaller 7\64 prusik loop so it has more "bite" on the main line?

Regarding Prusik vs. whoopie, the Prusik won't hold quite as well with Amsteel. Amsteel is pretty slick stuff (same material as most arborist throw lines, where low friction is a plus), so the lower surface area of a Prusik doesn't do as well as a properly constructed constrictor knot (whoopies, UCRs, etc.).

I've been using whoopies for the last ~10 nights I've spent in an hammock, and have yet to have them slip. But...I also make sure that I milk the bury (pull on it like I'm tightening a Chinese finger trap) before lying in the hammock.